2/27/09 Cleveland Tea Party sign. What the Parties are really about.
If you've ever had elementary school-age children in the house, you'll remember times when you had to make sure that your children were, you know, prepared for school. Homework done? Teeth brushed? Boots on? Stuff like that.
I see that the Great Nationwide Tax Day Tea Party is drawing near, and I feel like it's my parental duty…or spiritual duty if you prefer…..to prepare those who are going off to Protest School for a day, as it were.
First…..by all means…..attend the Cleveland Tea Party…..nothing better than political activism, even if The Reverend cannot figure out what in the hell, in this case, is really being protested.
From the Cleveland Tea Party web page. See if you can identify what, exactly, is being protested…..
Can one really pursue happiness when government enslaves, with more and more debt, taxes and regulations? While Americans cut back and cut coupons, our government spends money it doesn't have and puts the burden on our shoulders. On our childrens shoulders.
Who are we? We have been the silent. The ones working, volunteering, carpooling, contributing. The ones without a voice.
This grassroots effort has and will continue to bring like-minded people together. People like you who are tired of working harder while the government takes a bigger piece of your pie.
Observations: 1) Our government has been spending money it doesn't have (it's called borrowing) forever. Nothing, whatsoever, new about that. 2) The lack of "regulation" is precisely what caused our nation's financial meltdown, you know, requiring loads of government spending to avoid a depression. 3) NO working American has seen more of his personal "pie" taken in the last 3 months. On the contrary, Obama and the Democrats have cut workers' payroll taxes. 4) Fiscal scolds have a "voice"….it's called Fox News….and isn't voting, essentially, about having your voice heard?
Why, then, the name "Tea Parties"?
A little over a couple hundred years ago some special people in our country became very upset about taxation without representation and did something about it. Well, we are again facing a growing resentment, and again, some special people are doing something about it by having a Nationwide Tea Party in cities across America….Link
"some special people"…….good one. "growing resentment"…..yesterday, Obama moved up 2% to a 66% approval rating.
From Cleveland organizers I learned that the Tea Party is "to protest the stimulus", even though, "The stimulus has already happened, so at this point, we believe the solution is not to tax any further.". Elsewhere the protest is said to be over, "the lack of accountability on the insane spending in D.C. and especially Ohio."
I learned this from a Cleveland Plain Dealer column….
The tea in the name stands for "taxed enough already" and the aim is to attract anybody who wants to vent about federal, state or local taxes.
From Fox8.com, WJW Cleveland site….
If you are tired of Congress acting like the King of England, come on out and let your people know that they serve us, not the other way around.
Is it clear, yet, what next week's National Tax Day Tea Party is protesting?
CNBC's, now infamous, Rick Santelli, sprouted the idea of Tea Parties in a since-shown-to-be-misguided and misinformed rant on February 19, 2009.
Listen to Santelli from 2:08 to 2:17, when the first mention of a Tea Party is made ……
"We're thinking of having a Chicago Tea Party in July….all you capitalists that want to show up to Lake Michigan, I'm gonna' start organizing."
And so it was….the modern Tea Parties were born….
Cleveland's first Tea Party on February 27, 2009, drew about 50 people. blogger interrupted was there and he asked protestors about Barack Obama….
To fully grasp what these Parties are REALLY about….take some time to review these photos from an Orlando Tea Party….
My personal favorite….
Now for The Reverend's pre-boarding-of-the-Tea-Party-Bus, summary counsel…..
From the above information and pictures from previous Tea Parties, it seems clear that these gatherings are, in essence, protest-of-Obama-and-the-Democrats, gatherings. In other words…..a Sore Losers Tea Party…..not that there's anything wrong with that, as such.
Obviously, Rick Santelli and his upper-income, bond trading buddies don't represent the "average American." It's just silly to assert otherwise. If the Tea Parties were really about imminent tax increases, then it would only make sense to attend if you earn over $250K a year…..but sadly, that wouldn't include enough, you know, warm bodies for the media coverage, now would it?
The original Boston Tea Party was over British rule that taxed early settlers without granting them political representation. The irony now is that Americans came out in record numbers last November to exercise their, you know, political representation rights….and they voted overwhelmingly in favor of Barack Obama and the plan for America that he clearly and repeatedly campaigned upon.
Everyone had a right to come out last November and, you know, protest, by casting their vote AGAINST Obama and the Democrats. It's what the Founders called….representative democracy.
So, unlike the first Tea Party participants in Boston so long ago, today's protestors already have political representation…..the right to vote. Today's Tea Party protestors are, in essence, protesting the electoral outcome of our fully democratic representative process. They just don't like the results of the past election.
It really is a Party for Sore Losers….or….if you prefer….the Ironic Tea Party.
Now have fun at Public Square, and don't allow yourself to be, you know, exploited in any way by ultra-rich GOP organizers creating the perception of a "grassroots" movement…..when the real goal of the Tea Parties is making those Bush tax cuts for the wealthy few….permanent.
